Nestlé Turtles Holiday Packaging Competition

The School of Graphic Communications Management (GCM808: Package Prototyping course), FCAD, and Nestlé Canada (external link)  partnered to reimagine the Nestlé Turtles holiday chocolate gift packaging. Students strategized, designed, and proposed a packaging system to deliver a gifting experience to the target consumers. 

As part of the course curriculum and project deliverables, students were guided in innovating and iterating a high-fidelity prototype packaging solution that incorporated a structural dieline, 3D CAD drawing, and 3D renders. Students were asked to analyze, evaluate and incorporate full life-cycle thinking, manufacturing and distribution considerations, and their learning journey into their proposals. Not only were students asked to innovate the form, but also challenged to amplify their holiday packaging solutions with visual language and creative design strategies that met the brand and consumer experience objectives. Students used technologies and equipment made available through GCM and the Design + Technology LAB delivers physical and digital prototypes to allow them to realize their original ideas.

The project brief asked for new holiday branding visualizations and structural considerations that met the following criteria:

• amplifies the sharing and gifting occasion during the holiday season (design and form)
• is neutral on packaging cost
• considers sustainability and accessibility
• addresses fit and function (chocolates are loose in the current package format, and the box is manually formed)
• leverages the iconic TURTLES cues

Nestle chose the top three groups and awarded:

• $5,000 for 1st place ($1,000 per member)
• $2,500 for 2nd place ($500 per member)
• $1,250 for 3rd place ($250 per member)

In feedback shared with the GCM808 class of Winter 2021, Nestlé said, “Overall, the presentations were very well thought out from sustainability, consumer, marketing, and end-to-end perspectives. This group of students has strong creative visions of how to incorporate current societal trends into confectionery packaging. Everyone should be proud of themselves and the work they did”.

Congratulations to our first-place winners (prize money of $5,000; $1,000 per member) Kevin Condo, Lorena Florea, Cameron Garside, Cassandra Pascucci, and Anastasia Partserniak 

Nestlé shared, “We liked how this team really took a bold approach to re-invent the design altogether and brought a very strong element of presentation and giftability. Strong integration and end-to-end thinking covering all packaging aspects (primary, secondary & tertiary) and rationale for choices of materials, manufacturing processes and distribution. Great SWOT analysis used as a springboard for development.”

Congratulations to our second-place winners (prize money of $2,500; $500 per member) Lauren Balatbat, Julius Rodrigo, Pryanshi Mistry, and Sofia Scarmozzino.

Nestlé shared their feedback to students saying, “We liked that they looked at the existing portfolio to determine what could be an elevated design (vs paper board pouch) and looked at fit for purpose and overall size efficiency”. 

Congratulations to our third-place winners (prize money of $1,250; $250 per member) Mackenzie Graham, Sophia Le, Tzyy Mey Fiona Lee, Avani Mookerjea, and Linda Nguyen.

Nestlé shared their feedback to students saying “The sleek shape of the secondary pack and size make this a great sustainability story. This would be a great ‘everyday’ package. Thought about the waste factor in the dieline. Snowflake varnish was a great idea and the artwork was true to Turtles brand equity.  We liked the notion of fit for purpose and designing a smaller pack and looks full when the consumer opens''.